


If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more

by MidwestWordWitch



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fix It, I have a lot of feelings about Nora Darhk, Jane Austen quotes abound, Missing Scenes, Raymond Carson Palmer is too good for this world, too pure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24746722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidwestWordWitch/pseuds/MidwestWordWitch
Summary: What happened on the Waverider after the Kamadeva's spell wears off? How will Nora and Ray deal with the secrets spoken while under the effects of magic?
Relationships: Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more

**Author's Note:**

> This episodes takes place during Seance and Sensibility (4x11) and includes the deleted scene where Ray and Nora get caught making out like a couple of horny teenagers. Rated Teen for now, but later chapters may change that.
> 
> Title comes from a quote from Jane Austen's Emma.
> 
> @sunshine_states was a lovely and generous beta reader. I couldn't have done it without her.

Just as quickly as the spell had compelled them to sing and dance, it ended.

At some point during what could only be described as a musical number, Ray had lifted her up and Nora had wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles at the small of his back and her hands behind his neck, as he spun them around. When the music faded, he abruptly stopped and stood stalk still, pulling Nora impossibly closer to keep his balance.

Nora gasped, feeling like she had been hit with a spray of ice-cold water. The warm sensation that had settled under her skin quickly abated and she was painfully aware of just how close she and Ray were. At some point during their dance, she had ripped his pajama top open, scattering the buttons on the floor of the ship’s dining area, and Ray had shrugged it off, twirled it over his head to the beat of the song, and hurled it into the kitchen where it now hung on the sink faucet. Nothing separated them except his red cotton t-shirt and her thin silk nightgown.

Her earlier, and honestly half-assed, attempts at seduction may have scared Ray away, but now, eye to eye, nose to nose, all Nora had to do was lean forward and press their lips together.

Unfortunately, Ray realized their intimate position, took his hands off her thighs and stuck them straight up above his head, leaving Nora hanging on to him like a koala on a tree trunk. A very warm, solid, and sexy tree trunk.

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me. Nora, you have to believe me, I wouldn’t take advantage of you—”

“Ray!” she climbed down and took a step back. “Clearly, we were caught in some kind of musical enchantment.”

Ray, exasperated, threw his head back. “Gideon, what happened?”

“It would seem, Dr. Palmer, that the Legends and most of Bath were caught in a love spell.” The AI replied. “I, too, was caught up in the melody and piped it in. My apologies.”

Ray cocked his head “I didn’t know magic worked on technology.”

“It normally doesn’t,” Nora interjected, “But it seems that Gideon has an unusual level of sentience and personality. Maybe she’s evolved to the point that a spell would recognize her as a living being.”

“Like the EMH in Voyager!” Ray said excitedly.

Nora crossed her arm, confused, “Who?”

“Oh my gosh, Nora, you haven’t seen Star Trek Voyager?”

She smirked and shook her head. “I’m going to guess I was either too young, too cool, or too possessed to have seen that show.”

Nora paused a beat, brows furrowed.

“Hey Gideon, why haven’t you ratted me out yet?”

“You have not presented a threat to Dr. Palmer or any other crew members, Miss Darkh. I see no need to inform Captain Lance or the others of your presence on the ship. Should that change, however, I will not hesitate to neutralize you.”

“Gideon!” Ray chastised.

“Calm down, Palmer. That’s actually one of the warmer receptions I’ve received in recent memory.” She walked past him and toward to the hall. “I’m going to bed. Don’t set the kitchen on fire.”

She barely made it a few feet down the hall before she heard the heavy padding of Ray’s bare feet on the ship’s deck.

“Nora, wait!” He rounded the doorway and caught up to her, catching Nora by her arm. She allowed him to turn her around, but looked down at her feet, refusing to meet Ray’s warm brown eyes. Without the influence of the musical charm, Ray had rejected her advances twice that night. Nora had thought that the months of letters and visits while she was imprisoned at the Time Bureau had meant that Ray was interested in her. Clearly, she had gotten her hopes up for nothing, just as she feared and had confessed to Ava and Mona.

“Um, I—” Ray took her hand between his two large palms. She heard him take a deep breath before he continued. “What I said in there under the spell, it was true.”

Nora lifted her head slightly, looked at Ray from under her eyelashes, and teased, “You mean that you had a dirty dream about me?”

She may have been on her path to redemption, but that didn't mean she was going to completely abandon her penchant for mischief. 

“No! I mean, yes. I mean—” Nora laughed as Ray stumbled over his words and finally looked at him fully. He was blushing so deeply she could see it even in the dim hallway. Ray squeezed her hand, “What I mean to say is even though it wasn’t how I would have chosen to tell you, I do have feelings for you. And they go beyond just a physical attraction.”

Nora didn’t know what to say to that. She suspected that Ray was interested in her, but feelings? Nora Darkh did **not** do feelings. Well, at least she didn’t before she met Ray Palmer. She was going soft.

And maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t entirely mad about it

“And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” he continued. “You’re welcome on the Waverider for as long as it takes for us to figure out who framed you for Hank’s death and is responsible for experimenting on the other magical creatures. I’ll convince the team that you’re not a threat.”

Nora couldn’t help but smile. Ray was one of kind. She didn’t deserve his kindness or his romantic attention, but Nora was selfish by nature and she wasn’t about to let this opportutunity.

Nora pulled her hand away from Rays’. He looked disappointed for split second before she grabbed both his hands and drew herself closer.

“What I said in there was true, too,” Nora said. She let her hands slide up Ray’s arms until they settled on his shoulders. Using his body for support, Nora stretched on her tiptoes as far as she could and whispered, “I bet mine was dirtier.”

The next thing she knew Ray had picked her up, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her.

She smiled against his lips before reciprocating. This may have been her first kiss, something she usually was embarrassed about when she thought about it, but Ray more than made up for her inexperience. His lips were insistent but gentle, coaxing her lips to move against his at a slow but steady pace.

Nora felt one of Ray’s hands caress her thigh while the other held her steady against the wall, gently squeezing her hip. She moaned and bucked against him, startling him.

He gently pulled away and looked at her.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, catching his breath. “I shouldn’t have assumed—Is this okay?”

He asked her just like he did in her dream. She smiled and nodded, "Yes, Ray, in case you couldn't tell, this is more than alright with me."

Nora let her hands slip behind his neck to pull him in for another kiss. She felt the tip of his tongue swipe at the seam of her lips. She hesitated a moment before allowing him to deepen the kiss. Thirteen-year-old Nora may have been grossed out by the idea of French kissing, but boy oh boy was adult Nora enjoying this experience.

Suddenly Gideons voice, “Dr. Palmer, Captain Lance and the crew are on their way back. You might consider moving somewhere private.”

Ray broke the kiss and looked at Nora with wide eyes. He seemed to only process half of what Gideon said and was still caught up in the moment, not that Nora was doing any better. She managed to clear her head enough to say, “You heard the lady. Let’s take this back to your room.”

They sprinted down that hall to his room giggling and shushing each other. Nora felt giddy and breathless, like a little kid sneaking around the house after bedtime. Once they were safely behind closed doors, Nora wasted no time in pulling Ray in for another kiss. They somehow managed to fumble their way onto the bed and under the covers. Ray broke the kiss and sat up on his knees.

“I can’t believe I waited this long to kiss you,” he said while grinning like a goon.

Nora looked up at him trying to catch her breath. “Just don’t stop.”

Ray pulled his shirt over his head and starred down, looking into her eyes to make sure she was still. Nora was torn between ogling Rays abs and pecs previously hidden by his tee, but she eventually gave up and pulled him back down to continue what they started.

Unfortunately, they were so caught up in making up for lost time that they didn’t hear the tell-tale hiss of the doors sliding open.

“Hey Ray—” Nora and Ray both shot up at Sara’s greeting. Nora had never been caught in a compromising position like this before, but she would be that the current mortification she felt was similar to being caught in a room with a boy by her mother.

Ray sat up on his knees and twisted around to give Sara his patented Awkward Palmer grin.

Clearly, by Sara’s incredulous side eye, it wasn’t working.

“Hey Sara,” Nora said, aiming to break the tension. However, her voice came out several octaves higher than she expected and she felt her cheeks heat up under the blonde’s stare. Hopefully, Sara would give the courtesy of letting Nora put on something besides the flimsy nightgown before hauling her back to her jail cell.

Sara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose before taking a couple deep breathes.

“Ray,” she said, “I’m sure I’m going to hate whatever reason you give me for letting Nora Darhk out of prison, so I’m leaving this situation for the morning.”

Ray exhaled and his forced grin relaxed into a grateful smile “Thanks, Captain. I appreciate it.”

Sara looked up straight at Nora, “You’re lucky that Constantine just informed me that you aren’t responsible for Hank Heywood’s death. And according to Ava, you’ve shown real progress during your time at the Bureau these past few months. I’m going to assume you aren’t going to cause any trouble while on board my ship?”

Nora cleared her throat and made sure to not sound like a squeaky teenager when she responded.

“Nope. No trouble here. I won’t leave this bed until morning.” Nora immediately regretted her phrasing.

Sara laughed so hard she snorted, “Oh, I’m sure. Ray, keep her busy. Make sure you use protection and all that jazz.” She gave them a shit-eating grin before turning on her heel and leaving Ray’s room.

As soon as the doors slid closed, Nora flopped down on the bed. Ray carefully laid down on his side and looked down at her. Nora quickly threw her arm across her eyes to keep from looking at him.

“Gideon,” he said, “Please lock the door.”

A few minutes of silence passed between them. After a while, Nora couldn’t take it anymore and rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed facing the lounge chair with her back to Ray.

“It’s late,” she said, “we should get some sleep. I’ll sleep on the chair. I’ll have a better time fitting myself in there than you did.” She made to get up when all of the sudden Ray wrapped his arms from behind her, locking her arms at her side, and pulling her back to his chest.

“Nora,” he whispered, “If you want to stop what we’re doing, I’ll respect that. Now that Sara knows you’re here, I’ll go sleep on a cot in the lab, give you your space. But if you’re running away from this…from me.” He tightened his grip just a bit before letting her go, letting his words hang in the air.

Nora hesitated a moment, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

What could she tell him? That she felt herself slowly falling for him over the course of the last six months? That his letters were the highlight of her days during her incarceration? That late at night, when she couldn’t sleep on the uncomfortable piece of furniture the Time Bureau called a bed, she let herself daydream what it would be like to have a relationship with him?

In the end, Nora decided that would be a probelm for another. All she wanted right now was to fall asleep beside the giant dork who believed she was innocent even when all the evidence pointed to the contrary.

Before she lost her nerve, she turned around and crawled to the middle of the bed. Ray looked at her, his brow creased again, wondering what she would do.

Sitting on her knees in front of Ray, she grabbed his hands and quickly kissed his knuckles.

“Like I said, it’s late. I want to talk about his, but we both need some sleep. I have a feeling that we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow once Sara let’s the others know I’m here.” She laid down and pulled him down with her. He laid down on his back, as stiff as before. Nora chuckled lightly and moved closer so she could rest her head on his and threw her arm over him. A moment later, she felt Ray relax and wrap his arms around her.

He laid a quick kiss on the crown of her head before taking a deep breath and sighing, “Goodnight.”


End file.
